Colbert thanked viewers and friends for their support and spoke fondly of his mother on Wednesday night's show, while trying to maintain his composure. "She was fun," he said. "She knew more than her share of tragedy, losing her brother and her husband and three of her sons, but her love for her family and her faith in God somehow gave her the strength not only to go on, but to love life without bitterness, and to instill in all of us a gratitude for every day we have together.